New Zealand has recorded its first Covid-19 death in more than three months when a man in his 50s succumbed to the virus.

Health officials said the man was part of a second-wave cluster of infections that emerged in Auckland last month, ending a spell of 102 days free of community transmission in the South Pacific nation. The man was reportedly the youngest to die from Covid-19 in New Zealand, AFP reported.

“I acknowledge the anxiety New Zealanders may be feeling about today's news, both in the wider community and also for the family and relatives grieving over this death,” health chief Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement.

“Today's news reinforces the importance of our shared vigilance against Covid-19, the very serious consequences the virus can carry with it.”